Instructional Video

This Is Why Water Striders Make Terrible Lifeguards

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Water striders ... amazing aquatic acrobats or ferocious predators? Introduce life science scholars to these tough little insects using an engaging video. The narrator explains the strider's ability to walk on water and how it uses this skill to take advantage of less-agile insects.

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CCSS: Adaptable
Additional Tags
Instructional Ideas
  • Add the resource to a unit on animal adaptations
  • Use the video to illustrate insect anatomy and behavior
Classroom Considerations
  • Give younger learners some insight on the properties of water molecules and hydrogen bonding to help them understand how surface tension works
  • This video is hosted on YouTube
Pros
  • Video takes viewers up close to see how the water strider catches and eats its prey
  • See the strider at the microscopic level to understand how the tiny hairs on its body keep it from breaking the water's surface
Cons
  • None
Common Core